Ric Flair has given some of the greatest matches in his NWA,WCW and WWE career. Here we shed light on some of his greatest rivalries.
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Ric Flair is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. From his first to his final encounter, The Nature Boy has had fantastic matches. He has wrestled longer than almost anyone in history.
These matches have ranged from technical demonstrations to character pieces to bloodbaths, but the focus has always been on Flair’s tenacity. He never gave up, which is why he is considered one of the best of all time.
His greatest adversaries were those who pushed him to his limits. Ric Flair had great rivalries and some of them were so great that they cannot be bygones. So, here we are presenting to you Flair’s best rivalries which made him the wrestling legend he is today.
READ MORE: The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler and other rivalries in WWE
Flair repeatedly placed his job in jeopardy in the build-up to WrestleMania XXIV. He swore that if he lost again, it would be his final bout. At the age of 59, he decided it was time to put up his boots.
Shawn Michaels grudgingly accepted Flair’s offer for a match at ‘Mania, knowing full well that he would win. Everyone understood there could only be one winner in this competition. The WWE Hall of Fame had just inducted the Nature Boy the night before. His time has come to an end.
However, knowing the outcome had no effect on the performances. From beginning to end, this was a savage battle. Flair took advantage of every opportunity to compete and refused to give up after the first Sweet Chin Music.
Michaels refused to comply with his demand that HBK quit holding back. He hit a pair of superkicks that put an end to Flair’s illustrious career.
In an astonishing 45-minute draw, a young Sting stood up and became a celebrity overnight.
This competition went back and forth, with one guy surviving the significant contribution of the other. Sting exploited his power advantage to even the odds against NWA heavyweight champion to negate Flair’s dominance.
As a panel of judges observed in case the wrestlers reached the time limit, the two refused to lose. They did just that, as Flair clung to the Scorpion Deathlock until the clock struck 45. The judges were unable to reach an agreement, resulting in a tie.
Sting pushed his limitations despite being young and inexperienced at the time. In one of Sting’s most memorable matches, he and Flair went all-out. This night, he has created a star, and WCW was happy to take advantage of it.
As he introduced a burgeoning talent, Flair was at his most generous. Sting was seen as a potential legend following this competition.
Ric Flair has had many memorable matches, but his most memorable feud was with Dusty Rhodes.
The American Dream served as an excellent counterpoint to The Nature Boy. Flair was the affluent, entitled performer with every chance, while Rhodes was a working man who struggled for what he believed in.
The quality of their matches has varied throughout the years, but the finest was in 1986 at the Great American Bash. The basic antagonism that characterised these two was the foundation for this match for the NWA Heavyweight Championship: Who deserves to be the company’s representative?
As each contact between the two brought them closer to the finish line, this was a big-move contest. While Flair attempted to wrestle his opponent to the ground and force him to tap out to the figure-four leg hold, Rhodes utilised his bulk to his advantage.
The American Dream refused to lose no matter what, rolling past a scoop slam into an inside cradle for the unexpected win. Rhodes defeated the most dominating heavyweight champion in the history of the NWA.
